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Religion · head to head

OpenLP vs ShelbyNext Membership

OpenLP logo

OpenLP

Religion

Free, open-source presentation software for churches

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

ShelbyNext Membership

Religion

Cloud-based church membership and management system

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OpenLP has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: OpenLP covers Presentation, ShelbyNext Membership covers Member Portal.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenLP and ShelbyNext Membership actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenLP and ShelbyNext Membership differ
AttributeOpenLPShelbyNext Membership
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Mac, LinuxWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20041996

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Religion).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in OpenLP

  • Presentation
  • Lyric Display
  • Media Playback
  • Bible Display
  • Theme Support
  • Plugin System
  • Custom Layouts
  • Scripture Integration

Only in ShelbyNext Membership

  • Member Portal
  • Membership Management
  • Online Giving
  • Communications
  • Payment Processing
  • Email Marketing
  • Calendar Integration
  • Mobile App

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

OpenLP

  • Member management
  • Donation tracking
  • Event planning
  • Volunteer scheduling
  • Communication

ShelbyNext Membership

  • Member management
  • Donation tracking
  • Event planning
  • Volunteer scheduling
  • Communication

Both are used for member management, donation tracking, event planning, volunteer scheduling, communication, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

OpenLP

  • There is no standalone mobile app; the Android and iOS apps are remote controls for a desktop running OpenLP
  • Only the most recent Fedora release and Debian unstable are supported on those distributions
  • The Flatpak build is experimental and the OpenLP team states it does not support its use
  • Requires macOS 10.15 or higher and Windows 10 or higher

ShelbyNext Membership

Nothing recorded yet. See the ShelbyNext Membership review.

Pricing, plan by plan

OpenLP

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Full features
    • No restrictions
    • Community support

ShelbyNext Membership

On request
  • Core$99/month
    • Basic features
    • Up to 300 members
  • Plus$299/month
    • Full suite
    • Unlimited members
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose OpenLP if

  • You need presentation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Linux.
  • You also want lyric display.
OpenLP review

Choose ShelbyNext Membership if

  • You need member portal.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want membership management.
ShelbyNext Membership review

Questions people ask

Is OpenLP or ShelbyNext Membership better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenLP starts at Free and ShelbyNext Membership at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenLP or ShelbyNext Membership?
OpenLP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for OpenLP and On request for ShelbyNext Membership.
Does OpenLP or ShelbyNext Membership run on more platforms?
OpenLP runs on Windows, Mac, Linux. ShelbyNext Membership runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use OpenLP for free?
Yes. OpenLP has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ShelbyNext Membership starts at On request.
What is OpenLP best used for?
OpenLP is most often used for member management, donation tracking, event planning, volunteer scheduling.
What can OpenLP do that ShelbyNext Membership cannot?
OpenLP covers Presentation, Lyric Display, Media Playback, Bible Display. ShelbyNext Membership covers Member Portal, Membership Management, Online Giving, Communications.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OpenLP: How much does OpenLP cost?

OpenLP is completely free to download, install, and use. Being open source means OpenLP is free forever with no licensing or subscription fees.

Source
OpenLP: Can I install OpenLP on multiple computers for free?

Yes, OpenLP can be downloaded, installed on multiple computers, and distributed to others at no cost.

Source
OpenLP: What platforms does OpenLP support?

OpenLP is free for Windows, Mac, Linux, and FreeBSD platforms with no platform-specific licensing costs.

Source
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